Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Saturday, 17 July, repeatedly denied rumours regarding his resignation, a day after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He added that he will be back in New Delhi in the first week of August, and that he has called for a legislature party meeting on 26 July.
Asked if he has quit, Yediyurappa was quoted as saying, "Not at all... Yesterday, I met the PM, we discussed the development of the state and I will come back again in August... there is no value of such news."
He also called on Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President JP Nadda during his visit to Delhi.
'Amit Shah Asked Me to Work Hard'
"He asked me to work hard to come back to power in Karnataka and asked us to win more seats in Lok Sabha elections," he told reporters after meeting with Shah.
"Home Minister Amit Shah said that we will win 100 percent in UP and in Karnataka we have a bright future. He said to take responsibility of strengthening the party in Karnataka. I assure you I will not step back and will take complete responsibility," he added.
'JP Nadda Has a Good Opinion of Me'
Later in the afternoon, Yediyurappa met with Nadda, which fuelled further speculation.
"We discussed in detail the development of the party in Karnataka. He has a very good opinion of me. I will work for the party to come back to power in the state again," he told reporters after the meeting.
"No one asked me for my resignation. No such situation arose. There was no discussion over leadership change in the state," he added.
Yediyurappa Blames Media for Rumours
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said that the BJP is "unstable in the state."
"Their MLAs & ministers are openly speaking of ousting the chief minister. I don't think this has been a situation in any state, it's been going for 7-8 months. It's affecting state administration."
After meeting PM Modi, amid questions over his leadership in Karnataka, Yediyurappa was quoted as saying, "I don't know anything about leadership change, you have to say (to media). During my discussion with PM Modi, I requested him to permit carrying out development works in the state." He is expected to meet Union Minister Amit Shah later in the day.
His visit to Delhi comes as the present Karnataka government – formed after the collapse of the Congress-JD(S) government – completes two years this month.
The Karnataka CM has been facing criticism from his own party members, feeding into speculation of a possible change in leadership in the state.
In June, Yediyurappa had asserted that there was 'no political crisis at all'. "What is happening is just because one or two people (legislators) are saying something in the media, it is creating misunderstanding...these one or two people speaking against me is not new, they have been doing it since the beginning and it is getting highlighted," he was quoted as saying.
(With inputs from ANI)
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